Look
around at the top five people that you hang around, and in the next year very
likely that is who you will become.
If you are
hanging out with people continually who
are not motivated, have no goals, make excuses, blame others for their problems
or who have excessive habits like spending money or drinking alcohol; their
lifestyle can eventually “rub-off” on
you. If you are married and hanging out with divorced people or those that live
a sexually immoral lifestyle, there is a very good chance you could be
negatively affected by your relationship with them. Of course, you can hang out
with divorcees who are actively desiring to make their lives in accordance with
God. If you are a Christian, and desire to be obedient to the Word of God,
hanging out excessively with non-believers
or Christians that mix their faith with the things of the world (compromise)
can lead you to doubt your faith or perhaps get you to eventually compromise with the things of the world. Yes, Jesus ate
with sinners and He even had compassion for those caught in sin, but He did not
excessively spend time with those who
desired a sinful lifestyle. Jesus had a mission to the sinner, share the
Gospel, and share how to be a disciple for His Kingdom. Jesus spent a large
portion of His time with His disciples, the ones who were like-minded as He.
Should
you never hang out with those who are not the best influence for you, or who
live in compromise with the world? No, but they should not
be people who you regularly are
around. The enemy is crafty and cunning, and just because you believe there is
no harm in hanging out frequently with
someone who does not have the same morals and beliefs as you do, overtime, the enemy will wear you down
with compromise. If you are in a relationship with a non-believer or someone
who is not an influence on you, but you are an influence on them (meaning you
are seeing real and tangible changes taking place in their life), then continue
as God has you to be an example. You will know if the people you hang out with
are not influenced by you by their actions and behavior, if they continue to live for the things of the
world. You can still be in people’s lives that live their lives contrary to
yours, and you most certainly can still love them, but do not have these types
of people only in your life. Establishing
clear boundaries will be imperative if you choose to hang out with those who
live differently from your set of beliefs. Setting boundaries will be
especially important in dealing with family members who are non-believers are
who compromise with sin.
Be around those who you want to be like in five years.
If you do not have those kinds of people in your life, ask God to send you
those Divine connections. Who you spend time with influences the person you
eventually become.
Who you are with can elevate you as much as it can
bring you down.
“The righteous
should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them
astray.” Proverbs 12:26
Do
not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
1 Corinthians 15:33
When you develop close
relationships with those who reject God, you risk being influenced in a
negative way.
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